Wireless communication technologies currently being developed continue to focus on improving a user's experience through, for instance, improving spectral efficiency and signal quality while providing for higher data rates and increased signal bandwidth and throughput. For example, many communication devices are now capable of implementing MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output), which is a technology that can increase the capacity of a radio link by using multiple transceiver paths and corresponding antenna elements to exploit multipath propagation for communicating data between communication devices.
Directional or beam antennas are also becoming more widely used. These antennas are configured to focus narrower and higher gain antenna beams in specific directions to allow more precise targeting (e.g., transmission and/or reception) of wireless signals than omni-directional antennas. Moreover, technologies such as Wi-Fi used in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are enabling the development of communication devices that operate in multiple frequency bands (for instance tri-band-enabled devices that operate in the 2.4, 5, and 60 gigahertz (GHz) bands) and that are capable of both infrastructure and peer-to-peer communication. Accordingly, opportunities abound for developing methods and apparatus that take advantage of this breath of technology alternatives.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.